House Passes Reschenthaler's COPS Counseling Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed Rep. Guy Reschenthaler's (PA-14) Confidentiality Opportunities for Peer Support (COPS) Counseling Act (S. 1502) by a vote of 424-3. This bipartisan legislation, which Reschenthaler introduced with Rep. David Trone (MD-6), increases privacy protections for law enforcement officers who use peer support counseling by creating clear standards for confidentiality. The COPS Counseling Act passed the Senate earlier this year by unanimous consent and now heads to the president's desk to be signed into law.
"I am proud the House passed the COPS Counseling Act, bipartisan legislation I introduced with Rep. Trone that will improve mental health treatment for the law enforcement officers who put their own lives at risk to keep us safe," said Rep. Reschenthaler. "This legislation encourages the use of peer support counseling programs and ensures law enforcement can utilize these important mental health resources and know their privacy is protected. I urge the president to swiftly sign this bill into law so our nation's police officers can access the mental health and wellness services they need."
A Fraternal Order of Police survey showed 73% of surveyed officers believed the most helpful mental health resource offered by police departments was peer support counseling. S. 1502 provides privacy protections to ensure officers can participate in peer-to-peer counseling and receive the confidential help they need. It also encourages state and local first responder agencies to adopt peer counseling programs by requiring the U.S. Department of Justice to make best practices publicly available on their website and provide a list of training programs for individuals to become peer support mentors.
"When Montgomery County Officer T.J. Bomba died by suicide, it was a wake-up call for our district and law enforcement communities across the country. The task was clear: improve the mental health care and support services for our law enforcement officers and first responders," said Congressman Trone. "By passing the COPS Counseling Act, we can help remove the stigma that exists surrounding mental health and save the lives of officers in need. I'm grateful to work with Congressman Reschenthaler (R-PA), Senators Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Grassley (R-Iowa), and first responders in my district to support our law enforcement and first responder community."
This bill was previously introduced by Rep. Reschenthaler and Rep. Trone in the 116th Congress.
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